Amaju Pinnick Misses Out on FIFA Council Seat in Tight Election
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has failed in his bid to reclaim a spot on the FIFA Council after narrowly losing in the elections held in Cairo on Wednesday.
With FIFA President Gianni Infantino in attendance, the election took place during an extraordinary general assembly. The FIFA Council has seven seats allocated to Africa, with Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Patrice Motsepe, automatically retaining his position, while one seat is designated for a female representative.
Pinnick’s Narrow Defeat
Pinnick missed out by just one vote, securing 28 votes compared to the 29 received by Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Souleymane Waberi.
Elected FIFA Council Members
- Fouzi Lekja – 49 votes
- Hani Abou Ridha – 35 votes
- Djibrilla Hima – 35 votes
- Ahmed Yahya – 29 votes
- Souleymane Waberi – 29 votes
Women’s Slot:
- Kanozat Ibrahim – 30 votes
Candidates Who Missed Out
- Amaju Pinnick – 28 votes
- Andrew Kamanga – 19 votes
- Yacine Diallo – 18 votes
- Augustin Senghor – 13 votes
- Mathurin de Chacus withdrew from the race
Pinnick’s Previous FIFA Council Stint
Pinnick was first elected to the FIFA Council in March 2021 during CAF’s 43rd Ordinary General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco. He became the third Nigerian to hold the position, following the late Etubom Orok Oyo and Amos Adamu.
Meanwhile, Patrice Motsepe secured another four-year term as CAF President, having been elected unopposed. He initially took over the role in Morocco four years ago, replacing Ahmad Ahmad, who was suspended by FIFA over financial irregularities.
